About 50,000 commercial telegrams a day pass through the commercial cables censorship. Of these a small number have been delayed or stopped owing to the fact that there has been reason to suspect that political and military news has been conveyed to belligerent countries by means of concealed codes. The following arrangement has been communicated to the United States Ambassador: Whenever the date of the despatch and addresses of sender and destined receiver are given, the censor will inform the United States Ambassador in London whether the cable has been stopped and the reason for stopping it. It is, however, to be observed that not all cables between Europe and the United States pass through the British censor. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, December 21, 1914. CECIL SPRING RICE File No. 841.731/195 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, January 4, 1915. 1394. Your 804, December 22. British Government replies that telegrams from the Philippine Islands to the United States do not normally travel over British lines, and that unless particulars are furnished of the telegrams referred to it is not possible to make any effective inquiry into the matter. With regard to request of Compañia General de Tabacos Filipinos for permission to use a code word in signing telegrams exchanged with head office at Barcelona, Grey informs me that he has consulted with the departments concerned and that the British Government cannot see their way to granting the desired privilege in view of the question of principle involved. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR CENSORSHIP OF THE MAILS BY BELLIGERENT GOVERNMENTS: ORDINARY MAIL File No. 811.712/17 The Austro-Hungarian Ambassador (Dumba) to the Secretary of State AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMBASSY, DEAR MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: I beg to call your earnest attention to the great inconvenience, nay, heavy losses and trouble, resulting from the fact that, owing to the war, no cabling nor direct mail shipping is now possible between the United States on the one side and Austria-Hungary and Germany on the other. The mail addressed to these countries, if given to English liners, remains in England and never reaches its destination. At the same time all American citizens left in Germany and my country are unable to communicate with their relations or friends here even by letter. You know yourself what deplorable hardship follows from this predicament. Therefore, I believe that it is only fair that all letters going to Germany and Austria-Hungary and addressed "via Rotterdam ought to be intrusted to the Dutch liners, now that Holland neutrality is officially proclaimed. Trusting that the postmaster will at once give such instructions, I remain [etc.] C. DUMBA The Secretary of State to the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador (Dumba) DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 10, 1914. MY DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: Referring to your recent note relative to the despatch of mail from the United States intended for AustriaHungary, I beg to say that the Postmaster General has heretofore given orders that all mail going to your country and Germany addressed via Rotterdam is to be despatched by Dutch liners, unless it can be more expeditiously sent by other steamers and routes. The Postmaster General informs the Department that he has taken every measure to see that mail originating in the United States for all countries be despatched by the steamship line which will most expeditiously deliver the mail at its destination. He also informs the Department that yesterday afternoon there was no foreign mail originating in this country left on hand in New York, as it had all been despatched. I am [etc.] W. J. BRYAN File No. 811.712/18 The Postmaster General (Burleson) to the Secretary of State OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, SIR: With reference to your personal inquiry you are informed that since the breaking out of the war in Europe the mails for the various European countries have been going forward at every opportunity and by the most expeditious steamers and routes available. Mails for all countries, including Germany and Austria-Hungary, are being despatched three or four times a week. After the des patches have been made by the steamers sailing from New York to-morrow no mail for any European country will be left on hand at New York. The mails for the different countries are forwarded by the routes which will not require them to pass through intervening countries with which the countries of destination of the mails are at war. Letters and other articles contained in said mails should reach the addressees in due course. Respectfully, A. S. BURLESON File No. 841.711/196 The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) [Telegram] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 21, 1914. 162. Investigate and report on press reports that United States mail on S. S. Noordam has been examined by British and either seized or held up. LANSING File No. 841.711/198 The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Spring Rice)1 DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 25, 1914. MY DEAR MR. AMBASSADOR: The Department has received several communications from American citizens claiming that letters addressed by them to relatives or friends in Germany have not reached their destination. In a letter dated September 182 Mr. George S. Viereck advises the Department that he sends letters by practically every steamer to Europe and that no letter of his which has been forwarded since the 29th of July has been received in Germany. He states that the letters in question were written to various people but that most of them were addressed to his father and mother, who are American citizens, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Viereck, Südwestkorso 8, Friedenau, Berlin. I am bringing this matter informally and unofficially to your attention in the hope that you may be able to suggest some course which would tend to eliminate complaints of this character in future. I am writing also to the French Ambassador on this same subject. Sincerely yours, 'The same to the French Ambassador. ROBERT LANSING "Not printed. File No. 841.711/201 The French Ambassador (Jusserand) to the Acting Secretary of State FRENCH EMBASSY, Washington, September 28, 1914. MY DEAR MR. COUNSELLOR: I am sorry to hear that Mr. George S. Viereck's letters have not been received in Germany, but I do not see in what way I can usefully interfere in order to secure for him a better postal service in the present circumstances. All postal communication is, of course, suppressed between_belligerent countries. If Mr. Viereck sends his letters by way of England or of France, they are sure not to reach Germany any more than the letters of any Englishman or any Frenchman. His only chance, as I take it, is for him to use neutral ships, such as the Dutch ones or any other. Believe me [etc.] JUSSERAND File No. 811.712/27 The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Grey) to the British Ambassador at Washington (Spring Rice) [Telegram] October 4, 1914. [Left at the Department of State No mails whatever have reached this country from United States for Germany since August 8. Mail received on that date was returned as undeliverable, postal communication between Great Britain and Germany having been suspended. File No. 841.711/200 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State [Telegram] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, October 12, 1914. [Received 3.45 p. m.] 821. Your telegram 162, September 21. Sir Edward Grey now informs me after investigation that the United States mail on board S. S. Noordam was not interfered with by British officials. He asks me to say that if the report of interference with it has arisen from the fact that any of the letters in question were found to be opened when they reached their destination, he would be glad if a specimen of such envelopes could be submitted for further investigation. AMERICAN AMBASSADOR File No. 841.711/198 The Secretary of State to the Editor of "The Fatherland" (George S. Viereck) DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 5, 1914. SIR: Referring to your letters of September 10 and 18 last, and the Department's replies thereto,' with reference to the censorship of mail from the United States destined to points in Germany, by the British authorities, the Department has delayed communicating with you further in hope of having more definite information to give you. It is now understood that mail sent on neutral vessels, unsealed, will not be held up and should reach its destination safely. Mail sent to Germany via England or France, however, is very liable to delay and possible confiscation. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: ROBERT LANSING Counselor CENSORSHIP OF THE MAILS BY BELLIGERENT GOVERNMENTS: DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR MAIL File No. 841.711/1 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State No. 467] AMERICAN EMBASSY, London, September 19, 1914. [Received October 5.] SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith an inquiry, with accompanying enclosures, received from the American Legation at The Hague, with reference to the regulations and authorization under which the British censor is opening mail of the American Consular Service. I have [etc.] WALTER HINES PAGE [Enclosure] The Minister in the Netherlands (Van Dyke) to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) AMERICAN LEGATION, The Hague, September 4, 1914. The American Legation at The Hague requests information in regard to regulations and authorization under which the British officials are opening mail of the American Consular Service, some of which, as is evident from the enclosed envelopes,' is under official seal. |